Electrolytic cell.



L. E. PGRTER. ELECROLYTSC ICELL. APPucATmN sugo myn. 1914.

Pneu-ted 52m. 11, 1915,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

terior of a stuffing box 87 which is supported by a pedestal 40,'Which extends down and 1sA secured `to the fioor 27. A gland 39 is .secured to the box 37 and compresses packmvl 3 8 about the shaft 36. -A pipe 41 is tappec into the stufling box member 37 and extends' down and connects to other apparatus as will hereinafter be described.

A spur gear 42 is mounted on the exterior of the shell and meshes with and is driven by a vpinion43 mounted on one of the shafts 21 which is driven by means ofa pulley 44 by a belt' 45 from, a source not shown. A brush 46' maes contact with slip ring A2 and a brush 47 makes contactwith the slips-ing 18, these brushes being supportedbn an insulating standard 48 which may be supported from the floor by any convenient means not shown. zo

A 'relief valve isprovided for the anode chamber consisting of a casting 51 having a hole 52 in'open communication with the in-l yBIS terior of the anode chamber and a valve 5I4 seating upon and closing this hole. A spring 54 surrounds the stem 55 of the valve 53 and exerts pressure between' a. yoke 56 formed on the casting 51 and the valve 53.

YThis spring has sufficient' strength to hold the valve closed against four times a prede-v termined pressure, called the relieving pressure. 'A handle 57 is pivoted at 58 on the yoke 56 and extends out 'and forms a cam surface at 59.

A bracket is supported from the floor 27 or some other stationary structure valve of four times the relieving pressure.

i sof There is therefore.. lar normall unbalanced pressure on'the valve 53 of, four-times the relieving pressure but when the spring G2 is fully in contact with the camsurface 59 the pressure of the spring (i2 is subtracted from the pressure of the spring 54 leaving an unbalanced pressure equal to the relieving pressure on the valve 53- If the pressure in the anode chamber exceeds the relieving pressure the valve 53 will lift and discharge gas from the anode chamber. The bracket 60Lis so located that this discharge takes place Aat or near the top of the movement of the shell 10 so that gass will be discharged from above the solids and liquids contained therein.

It will be noted that the' diaphragm .5

divides the cell into two parts, the outer of which may becalled the `anode chamber and designated by the figure 49 and the inner of which maybe called the cathode chamber and designated by the figure 50, these chambers being in communication With each other through the perforations in the diaphragm 5 and the filter cloth which is securedthere-- over.v In the anode chamber' are located the anode conductors '17 which are connected to theslip ring 18', and in the cathode chamber is located the cathode, which is the cyl inder 1. t

The method of operation of the invention is as follows: The parts being assembled as shown in the drawings, the cellvis rotated until the pipe plug 25 is at the top thereof. The pipe plug is then removed and the anode chamber 49 is filled with metallic ore through the opening 24. The plug 25 is then replaced and the cell is rotated by means of the belt 45, the pulley 44,.the shaft 21, the pinion 43, and the gear 42. An electrolyte nearly saturated With metallic salts is then admitted to the pipe 41 and is forced under pressure into the anode chamber 49, completely filling any' spaces therein not already taken. up by the metallic ore. The anode chamber being pressure tight, due to y the packing 14, and the pressure being ymain- 5 tained thiselectrolytev is forced into the cathode chamber 50 through the filter cloth `9 and through the openings in the diaphramy 5. The metallic ore being incont'act with the plates 17 this metallic lore becomes the true anode and the usual electrolyticA 10 chemical oxidation takes place therein, releasin metallic salts into the electrolyte. The e ectrolyte is already nearly saturated and the addition of more metallic salts fully saturates it. yNone of the -metal'lic ore`can-105 pass into the cathode chamber due toA ther filter cloth but the electrolyte passes into the cathode chamber and a continuous deposition of metal takes place therefrom, this metal having been extracted from the ore by 11 the electrolyte. The solution is removed, slightly impoverished, fromY the cathode chamber v.50 by means of the pipe 30, being carried through th'e stutling box 31 of the pipe 33. This solution may be treated eX- 115 ternally to the cell if desired, or it may be pumped back through the pipe 41 into the anode chamber where it is again enriched by the ore contained therein. Any .excess gases which may/be generated in the anode 1 chamber are relieved by the valve 53. Hydrogen orother gases evolved in the cathode chamber are drawn `off through the pipes 30 and 33 with theelectrolyte. These gases are not returned tothe anode chamber 125 but are trapped outbefore the'solution-is returned to the pipe 41. The cell being continuously rotated during the operationY thereof the o re in the anode chamber is con- 1.o tmuously agltated and Athe gases vvhich form i hole 24 into the hopper 26. The diaphragm 5, and the cathode 1 arethen removed by releasin the bolts 1,6 which have previously cause the packing 14 to press uponI the diaphragm 5 and cause it to grip the rings 8 andthe diaphra and cathode are removed from the shell l The metal deposited in a cylindrical form on the cathode is thus ac-v cessible. .The cylinder-'is divided up into a series o rectangular portions by the wooden .A

strips B and 4V and the metal is; deposited therebetween. The metal mayv ordinarily' be readily removed romthe cylinder 1 coming oli as metallic plates approximately rectangular in outline.

it is evident that anclectrolytic cell or this type may be applied to many uses.v I have not attempted to describe the chemical theory or to give the equations'explainingits use. l The process is ordinarily carried on by Aproviding an anode composed of suliid orc 36:

fthe anode chamber loaded nearly to the saturation point with metallic salts. The.

Lor the like. The electrolyte is pumped into action in the anode chamber is to increase these salts and the saturated solution is forced through the diaphragm 5 into the anode chamber.- Here a small portion of the salts are decomposed, metal being excan be applied is the recovery of metallic Such ores ordinarily' tracted .therefrom and the' electrolyte is pumped back into the anode chamber to be resatura'ted.

@ne particular use to which the invention zinc ,from zinc ores. carry a large proportion of iron which greatly complicates any attempts to recover the zinc by'ordinary methods. In the present invention the free oxygen' released from the electrolyte in the anode chamber and.

maintained in that chamber under pressure acts on this iron to produce an insoluble iron oxid which Iis retained in the pulp, thus giving an electrolyte free from ironand from which metallic zinc commercially free from iron may be deposited. l claim as my invention:

l. An electrolytic cell comprising a4 cylindrical metal cathode, a series of insulating strips on the outer surface of said cathode dividing it into a series of rectangular areas, an insulating shell surrounding said cathode, ends making a tight closure and forming a pressure tight com artment between said shell and said catho e, a series of anode conductors inside said shell, a porous diaphragm dividing said compartment into two chambers, and means 1lor connecting an electrical source to said cathode and to said anode conductors. Y

2. An electrolytic cell comprising a cylindrical cathode, a porous diaphragm surrounding said cathode, an outer shell surrounding said diaphragm, anode conductors inside said shell, .ends forming a tight joint with said shell and formingva 'stuiiing box casing about said diaphragm, means for' forming v a tight joint between the ends of said cathode and said diaphragm, and means for forming a' tight joint between said stuifing box casingV and said diaphragm.

3.z An eiectrolytic cell comprising a cylindrical cathode, a porous diaphragm.\ sur roundingl said cathode, an outer shell sus. rounding said diaphragm, anode conductors inside saidshell, ends forming a tight joint with said shell and forming a' stuiiing box casing .about Lsaid diaphragm, means r forming a tight joint etween the end 'said cathode and said diaphragm, packing placed inside saidstuiiing box casing aboutP said diaphragm, and means for compressing 3 said packing.

a. An electrolytic cell comprising an outer cylindrical 'shell having a horizontal axis, l i

means for rotating said cell, la porous diaphragm inside 'saidshelh a cathode inside icov j said porous diaphragm, ends making a tight closure between said-shell.' and said cathode, a swiveled pipe for conducting liquid into 'said shell through one-of said ends, .and a swiveled pipe for conducting Aliquid from the interior of said shell. through the wall of said cathode'.y In testimony whereof, l have hereunto set my hand at Los Angles, California, this 5th day of May, 1914.' LEWIS nl PORTER.

In presence of- Fano A. Mansrmw,

Fono W. Hemus. 

